Gauri and Nasreen

Nasreen- Jan,1947

Keeping an ear to the door I listen. The soft murmurs are incoherent at first but then the voices rise and I understand the words though not the meaning.

'I can take you Noor, believe me I can. I'll call Randhi Chacha now and arrange for the carriage and then we will be off towards Lahore. We will reach by early dawn and all of this can be forgotten. Noor-'

'Please you know its an impossible dream of yours, I can't come. Its too late. They are right outside the village. I don't want to risk losing you or any of my family' I hear a whimper and then another.

'And I don't want to lose you'

Cautiously without making a sound I peer through the slightly ajar door. I can make out Noor in a tight embrace with Ibrahim Bhai. Heat rises to my cheeks and I quietly snap the door shut.

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'Ammi what is happening? Will you please tell me why you are packing clothes and food?' I ask for the hundredth time but I get no response. Ammi and Abbu frantically pack clothes and food items along with water bottles into the black bag that once belonged to Abba, my dad.

'Noor!' I literally shout out of frustration. It doesn't effect Ammi at all but Noor comes over and hugs me tight.'Just trust us will you?' she whispers in my ear. All I can do is nod.

The entire village has been sitting on nerves ever since that equestrian visited the village headman's house. I don't why he had come but it was not something that was good. Ammi and Abbu knew but they refused to tell me. School also closed down within weeks of that equestrian's visit. After dark one could not see a single person on the usually busy streets. Even my mother bolted all the doors and windows with extra care and every night since then Noor has hugged me to sleep. My mind will probably explode any minute now from all these secrecy, I swear.

'We are going to the village headman's house' Ammi informs without looking at me. Village headman's house? but why?.

My face must have shown signs that I was about to voice my questions; when Noor catches my eye and shakes her head. I sigh!, fed up.

My mind goes back to that intimate moment between Abbu and Ibrahim Bhai and their conversation; I frown. I didn't really understand what they were talking about. Ibrahim bhai was at Lahore when the whole incident with the equestrian took place, within a week he had come back and visited Abbu almost every day. I wonder what was going on between them. Why had he talked about taking Abbu along with him back to Lahore?

Right now all I can do is wonder. I hope whatever this is; it gets over soon. So that I can enjoy life and Abbu can get married.

a/n

Thank you for reading. Now if you liked this chapter don't forget to vote and comment.

Its been such a long time since I wrote and right now I am full of ideas. I privately published another book 'Beauty; the Beast'. To read it you have to follow me. Seeing the response on it, I will decide whether to publicly publish it.

So until next time, stay beautiful/handsome, keep smiling and never ever give up!

love,

Ena:)